“Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else.” (Luke 18:9)

The major theme for this 30^th Sunday in ordinary time focuses on the virtue of humility and repentance as the necessary conditions and hallmarks of all our prayers, motivated and guided by God’s compassionate and infinite grace given to us for our salvation, without which we will not be saved and forgiven by God.

All Holy Scriptures warn us the sins of self-righteousness, which is also called sanctimoniousness, sententiousness and holier-than-thou attitudes. It is a feeling or display of (usually smug) moral superiority, vainglory derived from a sense that one's beliefs, actions, or affiliations are of greater virtue than those of the average person, and that we can gain our salvation by our good deeds, sacrifices, self-sufficiency and efforts, critical of and disrespecting others, especially neglecting or disregarding the plight of the poor and the needy.

Self-righteous individuals are often hypocritical and intolerant of the opinions and behaviors of others and being uninterested in seeking an unselfish or objective standard of right and wrong, independently of how they interact with other people.

Certainly, people with such a wrongful attitude and thinking will not be pardoned and saved by God, not because of God’s just punishment, but because of their own unwillingness to embrace and share God’s merciful love with others in deeds. 

God does not want us holding a relationship of Transaction but Transformation. Therefore, Dynamic Christian disciples are those who (1) BELIEVE, (2) GROW, (3) SERVE, (4) LOVE and (5) LEAD others to Jesus.

Today’s topic invites us to avoid the sin of self-righteousness but to practice the virtue of humility and repentance in our spiritual life, to exercise our Christian stewardship, to use our time, treasure and talents to love God above all and to love our neighbors as ourselves, participating in the works of mercy, to accomplish God’s will in our lives to glorify God.  

How can we help each other eradicate the sin of self-righteousness, learn to be humbler and more compassionate with those in need, repent our sins to praise and give thanks to God?  

Wishing everyone a blessed week in the Lord.